There is something so inspiring about Olympic athletes. There is a concrete takeaway that I can actually apply in my daily life, which these top performers exude. I call it the olympic mindset and it goes well beyond the technical skills of their sport…

With Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVIII, I had the experience of watching a game that I enjoy but without the emotional attachment to an outcome. My favorite team was not playing so I didn’t feel the stress and pressure, the internal emotional pull, for a particular team to win. I cheered when a good play happened and listened when a questionable call was reviewed, calmly considering my own opinion of which way it should have gone. I could sit in the place of objectivity and not be swept by strong emotions in either direction. What a concept!…

The host of a program on NPR recently asked the guest that common, conversation-starting question, "If you could have lunch/dinner with 3 famous people dead or alive, who would they be?" Maybe I'm influenced by the time of year and the recent commemoration, but when I ask myself who one would be, I think of Martin Luther King, Jr., humanitarian, and leader of the civil rights movement…

Many news agencies are reporting on the “polar vortex” this week. It’s an evocative phrase and I wanted to add to the conversation, from my non-meteorological perspective…

How do you handle family tension during the holidays? Draft a "pre-game approach" and draw up your "game day strategy" to stay positive and achieve harmony during the season!…

The Millennial Generation, those born between 1980 and 2000, have recently been praised for their ability to multitask and criticized for having a lack of effort. Accordence takes these generalizations with a grain of salt and looks at how companies can uncover their young employees' identities and motivators to create a gratifying workplace for them…

How often do we hear about the need for bringing the right attitude or finding a better one? Have you ever been told that you weren’t bringing your best or considered that same thought about someone else? I believe attitude is critical for making progress in our lives…

In managing conflict, the most effective strategies are often those that knock the other party off balance by being unexpected, contrarian, or counterintuitive. If ordinary, conventional conflict mediation approaches aren’t breaking down the wall between you and an adversary, try these six surprising ways to get their attention and eventual agreement instead…

It seems there has been a recent wave of repercussions from communication issues: civil strife in Syria, a government shutdown in the US, and striking school bus drivers in Boston. We are social creatures and heavily depend on our ability to communicate to make our way through the world. Since communicating is a primary competency to job performance, let’s do it more effectively and we can enhance our relationships rather than strain them, get our needs met, and make progress in our work lives…

Two summer articles in The Boston Globe focused on the ongoing competition between Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts and their mutual desire for aggressive marketing regionally, nationally and internationally. This prompted me to consider, if you are in sales and you represent a dominant brand in constant competition with another popular brand, how do you begin to win market share from the other company?

Using our best negotiation practices, here are a few ideas that we have seen work…

There are key areas in life where one needs to fill up and I’m bringing the word "plenish" back in the form of a blog to focus on stocking up in the workplace on ideas, knowledge, and support for a more successful experience…